pro-democracy protests

  • Thailand Protest News

    Human rights lawyer Anon Nampa granted 3-month conditional bail

    Political activist and human rights lawyer, Anon Nampa, has been granted bail by the Bangkok South Criminal Court. The Ratsadon pro-democracy group leader has been in custody for over 200 days, on charges of lèse majesté and other charges related to political protests. His temporary release was tweeted by Norasate Nanongtoom of Thai Lawyers for Human Rights. According to Norasate,…

  • Thailand News

    Major political parties weigh in on whether to amend Thailand’s lèse majesté law

    With an uptick of charges over the past year under Thailand’s draconian lèse majesté law, which carries an up to 15 year prison sentence for insulting the monarchy, and protests calling on officials to abolish it, political parties have been voicing their opinions on the law, including the main opposition Pheu Thai Party which made a statement saying they were…

  • Thailand News

    Protesters clash with police for over 4 hours in Bangkok, 5 officials injured

    After an over 4 hour clash with protesters, 5 police officers were reportedly injured in Bangkok last night. Piya Tawichai, the Police Major General from the Metropolitan Police Bureau says the Thalu Fah pro-democracy group gathered in front of the UN building on Ratchadamnoen Road at 2 pm yesterday. He says the group peacefully protested for about 2 hours. They…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Amnesty International demands investigation into shooting of protesters

    Amnesty International Thailand is calling for a full investigation into the shooting of young anti-government protesters, with 1 teenager currently in a coma. The unnamed 15 year old was shot in the back of the neck, while a 14 and 16 year old were also shot. The father of the 14 year old has already filed a police complaint. However,…

  • Thailand News

    Father of teenager that was shot near Monday’s protest files police complaint

    The father of the teenager who was shot near the Din Daeng Police Station in Bangkok as Monday’s pro-democracy protest was going on has filed a complaint with the police today. The father is demanding that the shooter face legal ramifications for what happened to his son. Choonhavan Homya’s 14 year old son, who was shot in the shoulder, will…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Nida Poll shows half don’t agree with aggressive protests

    While the pro-democracy movement had gained support, the recent escalating protests with clashes with violence and destruction may have done more harm than good, as a new poll shows that just over half the respondents disagree with the protest on August 7 and believe the Free Youth group have backers. The National Institute of Development Administration conducted the poll by…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Anti-government protests, clashes with police continue for second day in Bangkok

    Violence has erupted on the streets of Bangkok for the second day in a row as anti-government protesters clashed with police. Thai PBS World reports that protesters hurled bricks, firecrackers, and slingshots at officers at the Victory Monument and the Din Daeng intersection. Yesterday’s rally was organised by the Talu Fah group, which is closely allied to the Ratsadon pro-democracy…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Press lawsuit to stop police from using rubber bullets rejected

    After being injured by rubber bullets police fired at protesters despite being clearly marked as members of the press, a journalist with Plus Seven and a photographer from The Matter filed a lawsuit against the police. Now the Civil Court has responded, throwing out their petition to stop police from using rubber bullets as part of crowd control during protests.…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Anti-government protesters in violent clashes with police in Bangkok

    Pro-democracy activists clashed with police in Bangkok last night in response to the authorities’ use of teargas, rubber bullets, and water cannon. Thai PBS World reports that the clashes took place at the Din Daeng intersection in the capital, following a rally organised by protest group, the United Front for Thammasat and Demonstration. It’s understood a number of activists refused…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Political activist “Penguin” back in prison ahead of large protest tomorrow

    Pro-democracy activist Parit Chiwarak, aka “Penguin”, has been re-arrested and imprisoned ahead of an important rally tomorrow. The Bangkok Post reports that Parit was detained on his arrival at Royal Thai Police headquarters yesterday following a summons issued on August 2. Parit faces charges related to graffiti that appeared outside a police office in the central province of Pathum Thani.…

  • Hot News

    Lawsuit against Royal Thai Police filed by injured press members

    After getting shot with rubber bullets while covering the tumultuous protests on July 18, 2 members of the press have filed a lawsuit against the Royal Thai Police for the injuries. A reporter for Plus Seven and a photographer from The Matter filed the lawsuit yesterday with the Civil Court, naming the Royal Thai Police, along with the Commissioner, Metropolitan…

  • Bangkok News

    Peaceful pro-democracy protests in Bangkok by Taloo-Fah

    Peaceful protesters gathered in Bangkok earlier today for pro-democracy demonstrations and a Buddhist Lent ceremony as well. The protests were organised by the pro-democracy group Taloo-Fah and their leader Jatupat “Pai Dao Din” Boonpattararaksa hosted the peaceful event. The Taloo-Fah organised smaller groups around Bangkok in areas like Ratchaprasong intersection and Pathumwan, where they held a candle-making ceremony, a tradition…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Tear gas, rubber bullets deployed against anti-government protesters in Bangkok

    Police in Bangkok resorted to using tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse anti-government protesters yesterday, after hundreds of people rallied in the capital. A report in the UK’s Guardian newspaper recounts how activists used cars and motorbikes to avoid spreading Covid-19. Yesterday’s protesters had 3 demands: the resignation of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha, a reduction in the military and monarchy’s…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Supreme Court rules against former red-shirt leader

    Former red-shirt leader Jatuporn Prompan has been ordered to serve back-to-back sentences in 2 defamation cases, according to a Supreme Court ruling. The Bangkok Post reports that Jatuporn will now spend another 11 months and 16 days in prison after a 2009 defamation case brought against him by former PM, Abhisit Vejjajiva. The activist was found guilty of defamation in…

  • Thailand Protest News

    5 protest leaders to have bail revoked following weekend rallies in Bangkok

    The Metropolitan Police Bureau has confirmed it is filing to have bail revoked for 5 pro-democracy leaders accused of breaking their bail conditions. The move comes after a number of political rallies in Bangkok last weekend. The Pattaya News reports that Sukhun Prommayon from the MPB says that an investigation into the behaviour of protest leaders attending the rallies shows…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Protesters to be charged over weekend rallies

    The Metropolitan Police Bureau says it plans to charge the leaders of recent anti-government protests in Bangkok. Investigators from the Nang Loeng neighbourhood say they’ve reviewed footage of Saturday’s rallies and come to the conclusion that organisers broke several laws, including the emergency decree and disease control decree. The Bangkok Post reports that the first protest took place near Government…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Pro-democracy leader “Penguin” has bail application rejected – again

    The Criminal Court in Bangkok has once again rejected a bail application from anti-government activist, Parit Chiwarak, aka, “Penguin”. The leader of the pro-democracy Ratsadon group had his application refused yesterday, on the basis that there was no reason to overturn previous decisions made by the Criminal and Appeals courts. The bail application had been lodged by Parit’s mother, Sureerat…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Attendance on the wane for Thai democracy protests

    While protesters against the Thai government are continuing as they have for endless months, attendance is lessening in the face of crackdowns, coups and Covid-19. The throngs of 10,000 plus protesters, mostly energetic youth, that waved The Hunger Games 3 finger salute and demanded change in Thailand last summer have thinned to a few thousand or less these days. The…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Red Shirts leader vows to hold April 4 protest aimed at toppling government

    The chairman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, whose supporters are commonly known as the Red Shirts, says he will lead a protest on April 4 with the aim of toppling the government. Jatuporn Promphan vows to take charge of what he’s calling a prolonged protest, to oust the administration of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. According to a Thai…

  • Thailand News

    16 year old Thai may be jailed in alleged lèse-majesté case

    A 16 year old Thai teenager may be jailed for alleged defamation against the Thai monarchy at a pro-democracy protest last Wednesday by wearing a crop-top with an anti-monarchy slogan written on his stomach. The teen is being charged under Thailand’s lèse-majesté law, informally called “Section 112”, the section that covers defaming, insulting or threatening members of the Thai royal…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Bangkok police vow to press charges against activists from Wednesday rally

    Bangkok’s deputy police chief, Piya Tavichai, says 11 activists who addressed participants at a rally at Ratchaprasong intersection on Wednesday will be charged. He says his officers have already identified 10 of the protest leaders and also plan to charge other participants who used loudspeakers or held up banners with insulting messages about the monarchy. Piya adds that any media…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Protesters call for PM’s resignation, release of activists, abolition of lèse majesté law

    Protesters gathered at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok last night, calling for the release of fellow activists and the resignation of the Thai PM. The anti-government activists assembled yesterday from around 5pm and listened to speakers blasting the PM and Thailand’s strict lèse majesté law. The protesters are calling for the law to be abolished, for those charged under the…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Another pro-democracy protest confirmed for Bangkok today

    The pro-democracy Ratsadon group has announced another anti-government protest to be held in Bangkok today. News of the rally was posted on the Facebook page of the United Front of Thammasat and Demonstration group, with organisers pledging to ensure the safety of participants. “March 24, 2021 bring your bags and tie your shoelaces. There will be a rally stage this…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Protest leader Parit sentenced to 15 days’ additional detention for contempt of court

    Pro-democracy activist Parit Chiwarak, aka, “Penguin”, has been handed an additional 15 days’ detention for contempt of court. The leader of the Ratsadon group is already being held at Bangkok Remand Prison on other charges. The new ruling relates to a March 15 incident, in which Parit tried to read a statement at the end of a court hearing, during…

  • World News

    Burmese healthcare workers take to the streets to protest military coup

    Healthcare workers in Myanmar staged a dawn rally yesterday, in protest at the February 1 military coup that deposed the government of civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The group of doctors and nurses took to the streets just before dawn, in a bid to avoid a clash with security forces. The protest action follows another weekend of military crackdowns…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Thai PM to chair National Security Council meeting today following protest violence

    The Thai PM, Prayut Chan-o-cha, is set to chair a meeting of the National Security Council today, following violent clashes between police and pro-democracy activists at the weekend. The police have been sharply criticised by academics and protesters, after water cannon, tear gas, and rubber bullets were used against protesters in the capital on Saturday. According to media reports, the…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Bangkok police defend action taken during Saturday protests

    The Metropolitan Police Bureau has defended its officers amid strong opposition to actions taken against protesters in Bangkok on Saturday. Clashes between police and pro-democracy activists have left at least 33 people injured, including 13 police officers and 3 journalists. According to a Bangkok Post report, a news reporter from Channel 8 TV was injured after being struck by a…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Protest leader asks court to look into late-night attempts to remove 2 activists from cells

    Human rights lawyer and prominent pro-democracy activist, Anon Nampa, has called on the Criminal Court to investigate alleged attempts to remove 2 detained activists from their cells at Bangkok Remand Prison. Anon says the suspicious activity took place on Monday night, with a group of unidentified men trying 3 times to remove the activists, telling them they needed to be…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Parit threatens hunger strike if activists charged with lèse majesté are not released

    Protest leader and co-founder of the Ratsadon pro-democracy group, Parit Chiwarak, has threatened to go on hunger strike if fellow activists charged with lèse majesté offences are not released. Thailand’s lèse majesté law, officially known as section 112 of the Criminal Code, prohibits criticising, insulting, or otherwise defaming the monarchy. A number of activists have been hit with the charge…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Anti-government activists moved to Bangkok’s Thon Buri prison

    Officials say 3 protest leaders have been transferred from Bangkok Remand Prison to Thon Buri Prison, in the Bang Bon district of the capital, to avoid overcrowding. Panupong Jadnok (“Mike”), Piyarat Chongthep (“Toto’’) and Jatupat Boonpattararaksa (“Pai Dao Din’’) underwent processing and health checks in the reception area of Thon Buri prison before entering 14-day quarantine. The Bangkok Post reports…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Pro-democracy activist hit with 6 million baht fine for removal of plants at rally site

    Protest leader Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka “Rung”, has been hit with a fine of nearly 6 million baht, after removing plants at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument. Panusaya and 5 other activists have been charged with removing plants placed as decoration around the monument, during a political rally on February 13. She says Samran Rat police station has ordered her to pay 5.9…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Thailand’s pro-democracy activists ignore emergency decree warnings over weekend

    Ignoring a police warning not to violate the emergency decree, pro-democracy activists gathered in their hundreds at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument yesterday. Although the anti-government protests have kicked off again after a 2 month hiatus, the numbers are well down on last years crowds, now measuring more in the hundreds than the thousands. The Bangkok Post reports that members of the…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Thai musician and activist has bail request turned down

    The Thai musician and anti-government activist, Chaiamorn Kaewwiboonpan, aka, “Ammy”, has had his bail request declined. The singer was arrested at Ratchathani Hospital, in the central province of Ayutthaya on charges of lèse majesté, arson, and violation of the Computer Crimes Act. He is accused of being 1 of 3 people to set fire to a portrait of HM the…

  • Thailand Protest News

    UPDATE: Thai singer “Ammy” arrested for allegedly setting fire to royal portrait

    UPDATE: A popular Thai singer from the band Bottom Blues was arrested in Ayutthaya on lèse majesté charges for allegedly setting a portrait of HM the King on fire. Yesterday, the Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for those suspected of burning a portrait of HM the King outside a Bangkok prison on Sunday. Police earlier denied arresting the singer, Chai-amorn…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Injuries and arrests as Bangkok protests turn violent

    Pro-democracy protesters clashed with police in Bangkok yesterday, leading to injuries and arrests as activists attempted to reach the residence of PM Prayut Chan-o-cha. At least 33 people were injured, including 23 police officers. The clashes happened in front of 1st Infantry Regiment barracks, King’s Guard on Vibhavadi Rangsit Road and involved around 1,500 activists from REDEM (Restart Democracy), part…

  • Thailand Protest News

    Police investigate “offensive” posts on Facebook pages of jailed activists

    The authorities are investigating the origin of content deemed offensive, which has appeared on the Facebook pages of 2 jailed activists, despite them having no access to phones or the internet. The Department of Corrections has asked the Technology Crime Suppression Division to investigate content posted on the pages of jailed protest leaders Parit Chiwarak and Anon Nampa. Both Parit…

  • Thailand Protest News

    12,000 police officers to be deployed at pro-democracy protests this weekend

    Over 12,000 officers will be on duty for planned anti-government protests set to take place outside parliament today and at other significant locations in Bangkok over the weekend. Tomorrow, MPs will vote in a no-confidence motion against PM Prayut Chan-o-cha and 9 members of his administration. The Bangkok Post reports that the “Mob Fest” Facebook page carries a message urging…